


Please, Rest

by lalahss



Series: fics for every ship in three houses [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Shyness, Sick Character, Terrible Cooking, two baby beans being baby beans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 17:48:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21480391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalahss/pseuds/lalahss
Summary: Annette hears a cry of pain while she's cleaning, and finds her friend Ignatz outside, who's overtired, freezing cold, and curiously cagey about his nighttime activities.
Relationships: Ignatz Victor/Annette Fantine Dominic
Series: fics for every ship in three houses [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1569397
Kudos: 15
Collections: FE3H Rarepair Port's All Pairings Challenge





	Please, Rest

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I love these two characters with all of my heart, and I hope you all love them too!

Annette was sweeping around the kitchen after her latest attempt at making cookies when she heard a groan come from outside. She jumped, and immediately went over to the window high up in the kitchen on tiptoes, to peek through.

“Agh! My shoulder!” Was that… Ignatz? She could barely see who it was, but she could see the discarded bow on the ground. Ignatz was always around the monastery doing interesting things, and last she saw him he was sitting in the common room trying to capture the way the evening light fell on Linhardt’s sleeping form on a couch. She’d giggled, and Ignatz had asked her what was so funny. She couldn’t really explain why, but he’d been kind to her even when her giggles woke up Linhardt. Sweeping forgotten, she went outside to see what she could do for her artistically inclined friend.

On the ground outside was a rather pained Ignatz, hissing and grabbing his shoulder against the stone wall of the castle. Annette crept up to him, and then stopped, and wondered what she should do. What if he didn’t want her to see him like this? She mulled over possibilities, leaning against a nearby tree. Find Manuela? It was likely a sprain, but she wasn’t sure if Ignatz would be embarrassed at her finding help immediately. Try and pop his shoulder into place? It didn’t look dislocated, but admittedly Ignatz’s shoulders always looked prominent in his shirts, so she couldn’t quite tell. His profile was sharp in the afternoon sun, and his eyes looked luminescent with exhaustion, rather than tears…

“Annette?” Ignatz called out, and Annette yelped, realising where her mind had gone to. He flinched, and blanched. “Sorry! I… just saw you there, and…”

“That’s okay!” Annette bounded over, a bit embarrassed. “I just… got lost in thought.”

“It happens to the best of us, don’t worry.” Ignatz rubbed his shoulder. 

“Are you okay?”

“Pulled it too hard behind my back.”Annette frowned, but Ignatz rubbed his shoulder. “It should come right soon…”

“That’s good!” She grinned. But why are you practicing archery here, Ignatz?”

“Well…” Ignatz blushed, but it looked pale in comparison to his normal rosy cheeks. “I smelled something really sweet coming from the kitchen, and I wanted to practice near it.” Annette smiled to herself, but he continued. “It smelled kind of burned later on, but I was too tired to move.”

“Oh no Ignatz, that means you’re probably overtired!”

“I mean… I need to practice before class somewhere, no matter how tired I am…”

“You look exhausted!” Annette went over to him, and put her hand on the side of his face. “And you’re cold too…”

“Oh! Oh, yeah… it is kind of cold out…”

“It isn’t really…” Annette focused, and realised it was kind of warm. Certainly not cold enough for Ignatz to be shivering in. That being said, he was only wearing his shirt and trousers… “I’m going to take you inside, okay?”

“Are- are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m kind of worried about you!” Annette giggled, and Ignatz gave her a relieved look.

“Good, I’m not sure if I could walk up myself…”

“Grab onto my shoulders!” She bent down, and picked up his bow. “Now, before you get any colder.”

Ignatz weakly wrapped his arms around her, and Annette supported his legs with her arms underneath him, like how you’d hold a cat on its side, supporting all of it. She hobbled over inside, and as soon as the warm air in the corridors hit Ignatz visibly relaxed.

“That better?”

“Much better,” Ignatz whispered.

“I’ll take you to your room.”

“Thank you…” He sounded more and more faint by the second, Annette thought. What could be wrong with him?

It wasn’t long before Annette made her way to the Golden Deer’s dormitories. She found Ignatz’s, and kneed the door open, eliciting a laugh from him. Once inside, she rested him on his bed, and immediately put a blanket over him, much to his relief.

“I’ll stay with you until you’re warmer,” she offered sweetly, finding his gloves and slipping them on him.

“Thanks Annette… It’s really kind of you…”

“Your sentences are trailing off!” She noticed his mortified expression, and hastily added, “I mean… I’m sure it’s you being tired. You’re not at fault.”

“Annette…” Ignatz said, trailing off, true to form.

“I’m worried about you, simply put.” She ran her hand across his cheek again. Some heat, that was good. But how much of it was feeling better or his embarrassment?

“How so?” Ignatz didn’t look uncomfortable under her touch, but rather… like he was leaning into it, with all of his fragile might?

“You look awfully weak, and it’s unlike you.”

“I s- I suppose…”

“No, really.” Annette looked at Ignatz, and frowned. “Last night you were rather jovial, but today… have you been resting?”

“A bit…” Ignatz bit his cheek.

“How much?”

“Enough… it’s not unusual.” Ignatz’s eyes strayed around his room, and Annette frowned.

“How much sleep did you get last night?”

“I… don’t know…”

Annette felt a lot like Mercedes when she was dealing with Ashe staying up all night in the Blue Lions dorms. Her heart panged, but she focused on Ignatz. “Did you fall asleep when Claude went to bed? Or when Raphael did?”

“Uh… I don’t remember either of them making much noise before bed…”

Annette had been in the Golden Deer long enough to know exactly what Ignatz’s bedtime routine was. He’d either go to bed with Claude, citing exhaustion, or he’d stay up painting until Raphael would check up on him. The fact he didn’t know? It was alarming, to say the least.

“Did Raphael check on you?” Annette asked, praying he’d be honest. He was causing her enough stress as is.

“Uh…” Ignatz blushed, and looked weak. “He told me to go to bed, yeah…”

“Did you?” Annette put her hands in his, more for comfort than warmth, and Ignatz shook his head.

“No… I was trying to finish a painting, actually…”

“Oh!” Annette started to look around, but before she could, Ignatz reached up with his hand and covered her eyes. “Wh–?”

“I’m sorry, I’m not ready for anyone to see it yet.”

“Why? You’re a great artist!” Annette pouted, and she heard a soft laugh come from Ignatz.

“It’s… very personal to me.”

“Personal?” Annette smiled, and couldn’t help herself from giggling a little bit. “Will we ever see it?”

“I don’t plan on showing the complete picture to the rest of the Golden Deer, put it that way.”

“Oh, oh well… I guess I’ll have to be content knowing you don’t want me to see–”

“Everyone but you.” Ignatz’s hand over her eyes started trembling, and Annette knew he was suddenly afraid. In a way, so was she.

“Huh?”

Ignatz removed his hands from over her eyes, and laughed gently. “You’re adorable, Annette.”

“Why?” Annette saw Ignatz’s smile, and frowned. “Are you… delirious?” Surely, surely… surely he wasn’t…

“No, just very, very in love with a certain cook.”

Annette blushed, but acted coy. “A cook?”

“She’s very kind and friendly to everyone…” Ignatz let the sentence hang in the air, and even though he wasn’t feeling so well, Annette could see he was alive in a whole new way.

“Wait, you surely don’t mean–”

“She even carried me to bed just now.”

Annette paused, letting his words sink in. “Ignatz, you’re so sweet!” She giggled, and Ignatz squeezed his hand she was holding. “But I don’t want you exhausting yourself on my behalf! You’re so tired, after all.”

“Oh, Annette…” Ignatz smiled, threading his fingers through hers. “I was struck by inspiration yesterday, and I didn’t want it to go away. I will rest now, of course, but please don’t worry so much about me.”

“I don’t mind worrying about you,” Annette said sweetly. “In fact, I really want to make sure you’re okay!” She intertwined her fingers with his, and he softened.

“You’re so cute…” Ignatz rubbed his thumb across the side of her hand, and closed his eyes. “Is it okay if I sleep now?”

“Of course! I’ll stay here with you to make sure you don’t overexert yourself.”

“I’ll only be sleeping…” Ignatz’s voice dropped, and Annette fought the urge to giggle.

“And sleep you shall!” She took Ignatz’s hand, and kissed it lightly. “I don’t want to leave you, if I’m being honest.” Ignatz smiled, his eyes shutting slowly. “Good night Ignatz, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Thannn… Annette…” His breathing deepened, and soon he was fast asleep. Annette admired his sleeping form, and wondered how she hadn’t twigged to his crush sooner. Was that why he’d always try her horribly burned cookies, and sample her salty cakes? She’d wondered if he was trying to be polite before, as she _was_ the newest recruit to the Golden Deer, but it all made sense now.

She looked around the room, and spied an unfinished canvas in the corner. She could see the array of colours across it, and a tight coil of ginger hair near the centre. Could that be… her? She didn’t want to pry, but she did allow herself a little smile. He clearly cared about her, even if she was a bit silly at times…

Ignatz let out a little snort in his sleep, and Annette giggled. Putting a hand across his forehead, she tried to gauge his temperature. He was warming up at least, but she was concerned about how he’d made it outside the way he had. Had he not eaten enough at lunch? Did he just want to smell her cooking, and didn’t realise how tired he was? Or was he trying to impress her, only to hurt himself in his confusion?

Overcome by dizzy thoughts, she gently nudged Ignatz to the side as she lay down next to him. He was adorable, and she wanted to stay with him even though she was feeling a bit overwhelmed herself. As she nudged her head into the crook of his neck, she swore she could sense him smiling. No matter, he wasn’t well, and she would make sure he’d stay warmed up.


End file.
